


You're My Only One

by Malteser24 (orphan_account)



Category: All Time Low
Genre: Alex Has A Child, Both Crushing For Awhile, Dinosaurs, Friends to Lovers, How Many Tags Can I Add, M/M, Music Producer, Requited Love, Will is adorable, single parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-30 02:13:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5146511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Malteser24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Imagine Person A is a busy single parent of a toddler and B often helps them out to babysit and housewatch. One day A invites B out to dinner together with the child as their token of gratitude for helping them out. During the dinner, A's child loudly exclaims that A is in madly love with B, making B flustered and A extremely embarrassed. Intrigued, B asks A's child how they know this information, to which they say that it's because "A never shuts up talking about B all day.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're My Only One

**Author's Note:**

> TITLE TAKEN FROM 'MY ONLY ONE' BY ALL TIME LOW
> 
> Truth be told I really love Alex's beanies. Also, thanks to my bae Hannah for letting me use her - literally - in this.

"William, do you know where my shoes are?" Alex asked his five-year old son, as he rushed to get ready. He had a client who'd changed their time on him, and so he had to be at the studio in fifteen minutes instead of an hour and a half like they'd first agreed on.

"On your feet."

Alex looked down, and there they were, his black and purple converses.

"Uh, thanks buddy."

William grinned, and Alex ruffled his son's shaggy honey-brown hair.

"What would I do without you?" He asked, and his son shrugged.

"Burn the house down?"

Alex grinned, and he was just about to tackle William into a hug when the doorbell rang.

"Jack's here, Jack's here, Jack's here." William sang, running to the door faster than Alex could comprehend.

"Will, mate, don't..." Alex faded off with a sigh as he reached the door. "Bombard him."

William had run towards him like a truck, but thankfully Jack had been anticipating it. He'd scooped William into his arms, and was currently spinning him around.

"Hey, little man." Jack said, and William's laughter filled the air.

Jack put William down before he could get too dizzy, but the smile William wore was priceless.

"Hey." Jack said, as Alex came into view.

"Jack, thank you so much for doing this." Alex said, tugging his jacket on. He patted his pockets to make sure his keys, wallet and...

"Phone?"

Alex sighed and took his phone from his son's outstretched hand with a grateful smile.

"As you can see, I'm a little frazzled this morning. But I really do appreciate it, especially on such short notice. If it wasn't holidays, it would be easier 'cause I could just send Will to school, but -"

"Alex, dude, it's fine." Jack said, reaching out to squeeze Alex's shoulder. His mouth tugged up into a smile, and Alex couldn't help but return it.

"I love hanging with this little guy." Jack said, ruffling William's hair.

"Besides, you know I'd do anything for you, that's what best friends are for."

Alex wondered for a second, if there was hidden meaning in those words. But just as quickly, he dismissed the thought as wishful dreaming and pushed it aside.

"I really have to go or I'll be late. Uh, look, I really want to say thank you, not just for today but for everything - do you want to go out to dinner tonight? Just, you, me and Will?" Alex asked.

"Sure. Sounds like fun. Now, off you go. Don't want the hot-shot music producer to be late for his first client of the day."

Alex smiled gratefully and stepped past, out the door.

It was only once he was in the elevator, that he realised he'd basically asked Jack, his best friend since high school, out on a date - only with his son included.

****break**

"So, little man, what do you want to do?"

William tilted his head, his nose scrunched up in what looked like deep thought - although Jack could tell it was all an act.

"Dinosaurs!" He yelled excitedly, and Jack grinned.

"Okay, why don't you go and get them, yeah? Have you had breakfast yet?"

William shook his head.

"I don't think Daddy did either." He said, sounding far too serious for a five-year old.

"That's okay, I'm sure he'll find something to eat. I think we'll feed you before the dinosaurs though, yeah? Controlling pre-historic creatures takes a lot of energy, we don't want you getting tired."

William nodded, and followed Jack into the kitchen.

"So, what would you like - toast, cereal, pancakes..."

William looked contemplative, his small forehead scrunched up in thought.

"Or, everything?" Jack proposed, and that was an immediate winner.

"Everything!" William yelled excitedly.

Jack grinned cheekily, and set to work - enlisting William's help, of course.

* * *

After breakfast - which had included toast and cereal and pancakes, only in small, moderate amounts - William brought out part of his dinosaur collection for them to play with.

Only  _part_ of his collection, because his fascination with the extinct animals was as extensive as his father's with space.

Although, it might admittedly be partly Jack's fault. When William was first born, before Alex's wife had passed, Jack had brought him a tiny little plush triceratops for him to sleep with. It had only escalated from there on. Every birthday and Christmas, dinosaur merchandise of some sort was all that he wanted, and generally all that he got - especially from Jack. He couldn't wait until William was old enough to watch Jurrasic Park, because he knew the kid would have an absolute blast.

"This is new." Jack said, holding up a plastic pterodactyl.

"Yeah! Daddy gave it to me yesterday. He said it was 'cause he's always working, but I don't mind it too much, 'cause I know that I get to spend time with you." William replied.

Jack smiled fondly, and pretended that the bird-like creature was screeching and flying around the Gaskarth living room.

There were many times, usually in situations like this one where he's looking after William for Alex, where Jack wished William was  _his_ kid too. And it wasn't just because of his feelings for Alex - a love that had existed since they were sixteen and had drunkenly kissed at some random guy's party - but because he really did care for William like family. He adored the young boy, adored every single part of him and had done so since he'd been in the hospital ward after William had been born.

In reality, he'd probably offer to look after William just so Alex could have some time for himself, even if it was all in the Gaskarth household.

And if Alex ever came to him, and asked him to look after William for the night because he had a date ... it would probably ache to do so, but Jack would do it, because it's  _Alex_ , and he'd do anything for Alex, and for William.

* * *

Alex rang just as Jack was getting things prepared for lunch, so he handed the phone to William and began making the sandwiches.

"Hi, Daddy!" William said excitedly, and Jack wondered if his enthusiasm ever wavered - he'd certainly never seen it.

Jack busied himself making the sandwiches - ham and cheese and tomato and lettuce - and when he was finished, he decided to grab juice boxes and potato chips, as a treat. He'd always spoiled William in some sense in the past, why would he stop now?

"Hey, Billy, lunch is ready." Jack whispered once their, in his opinion awesome, lunch was compiled.

"Jack says lunch is ready now, Daddy, so I'm going to have to say goodbye. Do you want to talk to him?" William paused, and then nodded although his father couldn't see him.

"Okay, Daddy ... love you too ... heaps!"

William handed the phone to Jack, and in exchange Jack handed him the plate which his assortment of foods sits on, and his juice box.

"Thank you." William said to Jack before situating himself at the dining table, his little legs inches from the floor.

Jack nodded, and then held the phone up to his ear.

"Hey man, what's up?"

_"Hey, Jack. Nothing much, I'm between clients at the moment so I'm just taking a break."_

"A well deserved one, I bet." Jack said, taking a bite of his sandwich, careful to keep the crumbs on the plate and not the floor.

_"You flatter me. Actually, I had a lot of fun with the last group. Would have preferred the fun happened later in the morning, but what's done is done."_

"Well, that's good. Billy and I have actually been very productive and serious in our work this morning."

Jack gave William a thumbs up, and William returned it.

_"Saved another city from the torturous reign of assorted dinosaurs?"_

Jack pouted even though he knew that Alex couldn't see him.

"We saved many lives today, Alexander, and I think you should show us more respect."

_"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sure you did your civic duty and I'm very proud of both of you."_

"That's better."

Jack paused, and he momentarily lost his train of thought as he looked over at William, and imagined if his current situation would ever become a permanent one.

"Uh," He cleared his throat. "I should probably let you go, do your job and everything."

_"I guess you're right, damned work requirements."_

Jack laughed, and soon Alex had joined him.

"We'll see you tonight, when you get home, then."

_"Bye."_

"See ya."

Jack hung up the phone and put it on the bench, and turned towards his sandwich. He'd taken two bites when William walked up to him, crumpled juice box balanced on top of his empty plate.

"Jack, I'm finished."

"Okay, buddy, do you want to put your rubbish in the bin, and your plate in the sink for me?"

William nodded, and went ahead and did just that. Jack snuck in another bite before William returned to his side.

"What do you want to do now?" Jack asked. William shrugged, so Jack mentally strung up a few suggestions.

"Do you want to do some colouring?" He asked, thinking not only of his lunch, but also of the work waiting on his laptop for him to complete. Working from home had it's pros, but it also carried a few cons.

"Yeah!"

William skipped to his room, and returned with his current favourite colouring book - one full of assorted superheroes - and his pencil case.

"Nice." Jack said. "Okay, you can sit at the table there if you'd like, and I'll finish my lunch and then do some work of my own."

William, already much used to his routine with Jack, nodded and set himself up at the dining table.

Jack finished his lunch, put his rubbish in the bin and plate in the sink, and then collected his laptop from his bag, which he'd dumped next to the front door the moment he walked in. As he worked, frantic typing with random intervals of staring off into space, he made sure to keep an eye on William. Not that there was much to be worried about. William was a fantastic kid, and super easy to look after. He was concentrating extremely hard as he coloured in, making sure he never went out of the lines, and the drawings were starting to look pretty epic.

They continued with their own seperate tasks for a few hours, before Jack's phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket, remembering to save his work before he answered, just in case.

"Hey."

_"Hi, Jack, listen - I'm really sorry about this, but I have some work to finish off here and I'm going to be home later than expected. Probably only an hour or so, I hope."_

"'Lex, dude, it's fine. No problem, stay as long as you need."

_"I owe you big time, Jack, thank you so much."_

"No problem."

Jack looked up after he'd hung up, to see William staring expectantly.

"Is Daddy working late?" He asked.

"Yeah, bud, just for a little bit though. He said it should only be an hour or so."

William nodded. "That's okay. Are we still going to dinner?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not."

Jack glanced at the clock, which read quarter to four.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

William shrugged. "Kind of."

"Do you want to get a snack or something? After you're done I can run you a bath, so we're both all dressed and ready for when your Dad gets home."

"Okay!" William nodded, heading into the kitchen.

Jack followed, and as William ate, Jack cleaned up the kitchen. He wiped the bench and swept the floor, and even did the few dishes that were sitting on the sink. He didn't think it was fair for Alex to work all day, and then have to come home and clean up. It's not as if it could really be expected for William to clean up anything more than his room, either.

"Jacky?" William asked, tugging on the hem of Jack's hoodie.

"Yeah, little man?"

"Can I have my bath now?"

"Sure. I'll just go run it for you. Could you do me a favour though?"

At William's nod, Jack continued.

"Could you just tidy up the lounge room, make sure there's no mess lying around or anything? Make sure your toys are all packed up and in your room?"

Wiliam nodded, and left in the direction of the sitting room. Jack smiled, and was once again immensely grateful William wasn't the kind of kid to stir up unnecessary trouble for the sake of it.

Jack busied himself clearing up the dining table, and the coat rack next to the door, so that the individual coats were actually distinguishable. He wiped the stove top, and put a load of washing on. By the time he was done, William was finishing off straightening the newspapers underneath the coffee table. Jack smiled at him, and told him he was going to run the bath.

Jack turned the shiny golden taps of the bath on, so that the water was warm enough for the cool autumn weather, but not hot enough to scald William. He tidied up the bathroom sink whilst the water was running - empty bottles were thrown out, toothpaste was cleaned from the tap and knobs, and the mirror was wiped so one could actually see their reflection.

"Will, the bath is ready." He called out, once the bath was full.

"Okay, Jack!" Came the excited reply, and Jack could hear the pitter-patter of William's shoes before he saw the little boy.

"Just yell out if you need me." Jack said, as William reached his bedroom.

"Yep!"

Jack smiled fondly, and returned to the dining room. He picked up his bag and took it to Alex's bedroom - he knew Alex wouldn't mind, he was just glad he'd remembered to bring a spare change of clothes. The initial intention had been for just in case, because you could never guess what might happen when you put Jack and an excited five-year old in the same room.

He knew it wasn't exactly a special occasion, he'd been out to dinner with Alex, and even with William before, but for some reason he felt like it was only appropriate to wear something different than he'd arrived in.

He changed quickly, into a dark charcoal v-neck, tan-brown leather jacket, and ash-grey skinny jeans with his favourite hi-tops. Simple, casual, but nice. He put the rest of his clothes back into his bag, and was just sliding his laptop into it when the front door opened.

"Guys, I'm home ... and you're right there." Alex said, laughing at himself as he shut the door behind him.

Jack just opened his arms wide. "Here I am, in all my wondrous glory."

"Wondrous, my ass."

There was a joke there, a line every easily crossed, but Jack bit his tongue and kept it back.

"Where's Will?" Alex asked, playing with his hair, though for what reason Jack wasn't sure.

"Having a bath. Thought the last thing you'd want is to come home and have us lounging around like lousy teenagers."

"Like  _we_ used to?" Alex asked, one eyebrow raised, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

"Exactly. I'm trying to teach Billy good habits. Don't want him turning out like we used to be. We also cleaned up a bit - Will did the lounge-room and I tidied up the kitchen and the bathroom."

Alex looked around, and his eyes widened just an bit. "Jack, the flat looks immaculate!"

Jack laughed, a low heat warming on his cheeks. "I just tidied up."

Alex shook his head and took a few steps forward. Suddenly, he was hugging Jack, and Jack almost stumbled by the sudden force. Thankfully he recovered quite quickly, and his arms wrapped around Alex without him fully realising.

"Thank you." Alex muttered. "Thank you so much."

"It's no big deal," Jack replied, and it wasn't, to him - but he guessed it meant something more to Alex than he realised.

They pulled away, and there was something in Alex's eyes, a spark of some sort, and Jack wanted to say something, thought Alex might be about to -

"Daddy!"

Alex scoffed out a laugh, and then turned to the doorway where William was practically running.

"Hey Will." Alex swept William up into his arms, cuddling him close to his torso before setting him back down onto the ground.

William began rambling about what he and Jack had done all day, about the dinosaurs and the colouring, and Jack watched on with the same fond smile that he'd been wearing on and off all day. Unaware of just how similair they looked, Alex's smile was matching.

"Will, buddy, why don't you go and get your shoes on, so that your dad can get changed?" Jack suggested after a few moments.

"Okay." William replied, and then he was bounding off to his bedroom.

Alex smiled at Jack gratefully, and Jack just nudged his shoulder.

"Go, have a shower, get changed, whatever. I promise the house won't burn down."

Alex laughed, and turned to face Jack, so he was walking backwards as he talked.

"You haven't burnt my place down yet, I think we're pretty safe."

Jack stared as Alex laughed at him, unable to work out whether it was an insult, or a compliment, or simply a mix of both. By the time he had decided on both, because that's the kind of thing Alex did, he was alone in the room. He leaned against the back of a dining chair, and mused over the fast few minutes.

There was something there, between them, there always had been - but just then, before William came in ... Jack was sure that there had been a moment, or at the least the beginning of one.

He didn't know if he should do anything about what he, while certain, thought had happened, thought had been there, or to drop it and see if it happened again. Jack wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed being in a state of uncertainty, but he also wasn't going to force something onto his best friend unless he was certain it was the right thing to do.

"Hey, I forgot to ask you before..."

Jack looked up as Alex walked in. He was tugging his jacket on, a black leather one that reached just short of his grey long-sleeve shirt. On top of that he wore a black and white chequered scarf, and on his head sat a deep black beanie, faded jeans with fabric detailing the American flag adorning his legs.

"Did you change, or am I just imagining things?"

Jack ducked his head, a little sheepishly, and nodded.

"Yeah, I thought it would be weird if I wore the same clothes I came in. I had spare clothes in my bag anyway, just in case something happened, so I just changed into them. I also used your bedroom, I hope you don't mind."

Alex shook his head, and zipped up the bottom of his jacket.

"No, it's fine." He said, and he looked up at Jack with sparkling eyes.

Unable to help himself, Jack stepped forward and tugged on Alex's beanie. "Really?"

"Yes." Alex replied, tugging it back into place, pouting a little. "It's cold."

"Yes, and  _that_ allows you to wear a beanie."

Alex scowled and tugged on it again. "I like my beanie."

And, truthfully, so did Jack. He just liked teasing Alex  _more_.

"Are we leaving now?" William asked, trotting into the room.

He was dressed in a much simpler jeans and sweater combo, with no beanie, surprisingly. Jack was waiting for Alex to force one on his son's head, or something. Okay, that might have been an exaggeration. He probably would have simply suggested it multiple times.

"Yeah, mate, as long as you're good to go." Alex said, ruffling William's chestnut locks.

William nodded, and Alex turned to Jack.

"I'm ready." Jack admitted. He slung his bag over his shoulder, and watched amusedly as Alex patted his pockets.

"Are you sure you have everything this time?" Jack asked, and William giggled.

Alex ignored them until he had finished checking his pockets.

"Yes, I am sure." He snapped, but he was smiling and Jack knew it was because he couldn't ever be mad at either of them for too long.

"He loves us." Jack whisper-shouted conspiratorially to William, who nodded enthusiastically.

Alex shook his head, and opened the front door, ushering the two past.

As he stepped past Jack winked at Alex, and he thought there might have been a light flush that rose on Alex's cheeks, although he quite easily could have been wrong.

* * *

They went to a casual, family-based restaurant, where there was a kid's menu for William, and appropriate drinks for Jack and Alex. Jack guessed Alex had called up earlier to book a table, because all though the place wasn't busy, as such, there were a fair amount of people there, and they  _were_ ushered in quite quickly.

William was bouncing on his seat as they waited for the wait-staff to arrive at their table.

"Are you okay, bud?" Jack asked.

William nodded. "I'm just waiting to go and play."

Jack raised his eyebrows at Alex, clearly confused. Alex stifled a laugh and nodded towards the far corner of the restaurant where, almost hidden from their sight from where they are sitting, was a grouping of bright and colourful children's playground equipment.

"Oh, I see."

William nodded, and then continued bouncing in his seat.

"Hello, my name is Hannah, and I'll be your waitress this evening." A girl, about nineteen or so, with dark hair and sparkling green eyes, stood patiently at their table.

"Hi, Hannah, I'm Will!" William said, and his excitement must have been contagious, because Hannah's smile grew.

"Hi Will."

Hannah looked over at Jack and Alex, and when they simply smiled back, she turned to William.

"Do you know what you want to eat?" Hannah asked, and William nodded.

He told her his order, very specifically - nuggets and chips,  _with_ tomato sauce on the side - and she wrote it down with a faux expression of seriousness. When he was done, he immediately turned to his father with pleading eyes.

"Go on. I'll come and get you when dinner's here." Alex said, and William's grin widened. He was gone before anyone could even blink, and their joined laughter filled the air.

"He's adorable." Hannah commented, drawing a thin line underneath William's order.

"Yeah," Alex replied, almost shyly, and Jack grinned, because he knew how much William meant to him. There was a shot of pride in Jack, too, and he wasn't even the father.

"Do you two know what you would like to order?" She asked politely, and Jack and Alex looked down at the menus in their hands.

"I can order drinks now, if you'd like a little more time to look over the menus." She suggests, and Alex smiles gratefully.

"That would be great, thanks." He said, and then he and Jack ordered drinks for themselves and one for William, in case he happened to return before their food arrived.

"I'll return with those in just a minute." Hannah said, before whirling away.

Jack and Alex gazed over the menus, deliberating which item would be better, which food they felt more like having. It wasn't a terribly hard decision, but it took them a while to figure out what they wanted.

Hannah returned with their drinks, and they told her of their orders - chicken schnitzel with salad and chips for Alex, and crumbed flake with salad and chips for Jack. She left once again with a gentle smile, and Jack turned to see Alex looking at him.

"What?" He asked, wondering if there was perhaps something on his face.

"Nothing ... nothing." Alex shook his head, and Jack looked dubious, but dismissed it and sipped on his drink.

"So how was work?" Jack asked, peering at Alex over his glass.

"Good. I mean I usually have fun, that's why I got into the music business, you know, but ... today was just a really good day. It sucked that I had to work late, but we're so close to finishing this album, and I'm really excited about how good it's sounding."

Jack found himself grinning as Alex spoke, and it wasn't purely because of Alex, but because of how enthusiastic Alex got when he spoke about his job, about the awesome work he was doing with really talented bands and artists. They'd always shared a love for music, for the same music, but Alex had really inserted himself into the music business because it was what he loved, and Jack admired that.

Alex laughed, almost nervously, or embarrassed, and ducked his head. He looked up at Jack, gazing up through his eyelashes, and Jack had the sudden urge to kiss him, on the lips or the cheeks or the forehead, but he didn't.

"Enough about me." Alex says, taking a sip from his glass.

"How was your day? I hope Will wasn't too much of a pain..."

Jack almost laughed at the idea.

"Will, a pain? What kind of joke are you going to make next, 'Lex?"

Alex shrugged, but he knew Jack was right. William was probably the best kid in the world.

"We had fun, played with some dinosaurs as you know, and then after lunch William coloured while I did some work. It was a pretty chill day, all-in-all. Nothing too stressful, I assure you."

Alex nodded. "Good."

"I don't know why you always worry so much." Jack said.

"I've never had any problems with William before, why on earth would I now? He's a fantastic kid, and we  _both_ know it. I always have fun with him, and  _you_ know that."

Jack shook his head, as if Alex was being ridiculous - which, really, he kind of was. A little paranoid, almost, though for what reason Jack couldn't work out.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, because he knew something was up, knew Alex well enough to have figured out something's going on in Alex's pretty little head.

"Nothing."

"Alex..."

Alex sighed, and Jack couldn't remember a moment when it had ever been so easy to convince Alex to do something.

"He's five now, you know? And it's not like I hadn't expected this to happen, I've always known he was going to grow up, it just all feels so quick. Like time is passing before my eyes too quickly for me to keep up."

Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair, an awful habit that had been there in high school when they first met, and one he hadn't kicked yet. Jack stayed silent.

"He's back at school next week, and this is his first year, and it's such a big deal - I never expected life to be easy as a single parent. But I'm working and I don't want him to get mad at me because he feels like I don't care about him or something. I just want to make sure that he's okay, that he's still having fun."

"Alex," Jack said softly, reaching out with a careful hand, which he placed on Alex's shoulder.

"I know I don't exactly  _know_ a lot of parents - you, and Cass and Rian are about it - but, you're one of the best parents I know. You obviously love William a lot, and I promise that he knows that. He understands you have to work, Alex, and he's okay with it. Do you know what he said to me, when I told him that you were working later than usual tonight?"

Alex shook his head, his teeth worrying his bottom lip.

"He said, and I quote -  _'that's okay'._ He asked if we were still going for dinner, and that was it. Alex, you could work non-stop for a whole week, but as long as you still talked to him and he knew you loved him, he wouldn't care. You're a fantastic parent, and you have been from the moment he was born."

"You really think so?" Alex asked, and Jack guessed it wasn't because Alex didn't believe him, but because he needed the reassurance. Jack understood that, he needed reassurance about a lot of things too.

"I  _know_ so. You have nothing to be worried about. I can't ever see you being a bad parent, nor a bad person in general. You've got too much of a kind soul, and a big heart for that."

Jack was grinning as he spoke, trying to lift Alex's emotions a little, but he was completely serious about what he said, he meant it whole-heartedly. Alex wasn't just one of the best parents Jack knew, he was also one of the best  _people._

"Jack..." Alex began, and Jack might have been imagining it, but it looked like Alex was starting to lean in a little closer.

"Oooh, yay!"

They both looked over, just as William was running towards the table, eyes set on the orange and rasberry slushy on his side of the table. Alex pulled back, and Jack tried to fight the surge of disappointment that rose inside.

"Hey bud, you should probably stay here, okay? Our food will be here soon." Alex said, as William hopped up onto his seat.

"Okay." William said, and Jack wondered how it was so easy.

"How was the playground?" He asked, genuinely interested. He was truly a child at heart.

"Awesome! There's this really big slide, and there's this part where it gets all dark, and then it's light again, and it twists around. And there's a helicopter with all this knobs and this huge steering wheel..."

William's voice got higher as he spoke, his hands became more animated, and Jack couldn't help but smile at how much he looked like a mini-version of Alex - what Alex  _did_ look like at William's age, in fact, back when he lived in England, going by the many photos Alex's parents had shown him.

"Phew, you're making  _me_ tired just by listening to your tale!" Jack said, once William was finished. He could feel Alex watching him, could see him looking out of the corners of his own eyes, but he tried to ignore it. He focused on William's bright grin and contagious delight.

Thankfully, Hannah arrived with their orders quite soon after, plates balanced precariously on her arms and held in her hands, and Jack admired her abilities. He would have dropped the plates the moment he took a single step, and he wasn't sure if Alex would have fared much better.

"Here you guys go, I hope you enjoy."

"Thank you." Alex said, smiling brightly, and Hannah returned the smile before hurrying off, likely to serve another customer.

They ate in relative silence, focused more on the food in front of them and their yearning appetites, than casual conversation. Comments were made, here and there, about the food or the song playing softly over the loudspeakers. It wasn't until William had finished completely, however, that a proper conversation was started.

Not that Jack was sure how he felt about the direction of the conversation.

"Jack, did you know that Daddy is in love with you?"

Alex choked on his mouthful, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried to calm down. His eyes were wide and his cheeks immediately flushed bright red. Jack could feel his own cheeks begin to heat up, but he decided to hear William out - his curiosity had definitely peaked.

"What was that, Will?" He asked, sneaking a glance at Alex, who looked like he was contemplating jumping into the children's ball pit.

"Daddy's in love with you."

"What makes you think that?" Jack asked, because now he was thoroughly intrigued.

"Well, he talks about you all the time. And he always looks really excited when he's on the phone to you. Plus, his face gets all happy when you're around." William informed him, sounding rather matter-of-fact indeed.

"Really?" Jack said, and Alex was avoiding eye-contact with either of them, apparently finding his plate much more interesting.

"Yep. Is it okay if I go and play now?"

Alex still looked dazed, so Jack answered for him.

"Of course it is buddy, you have fun now, we'll come and get you when it's time to go."

William said thank you, pushed his chair in and was off in excitement, returning to the children's playground.

Jack picked up a chip and nibbled on the end, his gaze directed solely at Alex, waiting for him to speak. He didn't say anything himself, but he could feel that his cheeks were red, and wouldn't be surprised if he looked like he'd seen a ghost or something just as startling. He was trying not to jump to conclusions before Alex himself had spoken, but the evidence was heavily in his favour, and his hopes were lifting without his consent.

"Alex..." He prompted after his third chip, because it didn't look like Alex was going to make the first move.

"Mm." Alex grunted in reply, and he still wasn't looking at Jack. Rather than being annoyed at his behaviour, Jack was finding it quite amusing.

"Is it ... is what William said true?" He asked, his tone light.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Alex replied, and he sounded so childish, Jack couldn't help but choke out a laugh.

"I'm sure you don't. How convenient for you, how suddenly your hearing has faulted."

Alex looked up, and he looked a little scared, a little sheepish, and Jack didn't understand why. He tried to smile encouragingly, to show Alex that he doesn't mind, that it's actually better than he thinks.

"Now,  _I_ heard Will claim that you love me. Sorry, that you're  _'in love'_ with me." Jack said, and Alex's eyes flickered away before returning to Jack's.

"That's interesting."

"It's very interesting. But is it true?" Jack asked, because he'd never been very good at beating around the bush when it came to things that were important to him, never liked waiting for something if it was possible for him to have it sooner.

He wanted to know,  _needed_ to know if Alex felt the same, and he'd always agreed with the saying, that there was no time like the present.

He made sure that his whole and complete attention was directed onto Alex, so that he knew how important Jack knew it was, and hopefully, so that he understood that Jack felt the same, always had, for so long now.

"Uh, yeah." Alex laughed nervously.

"Yeah, it's true. I didn't think it was actually so obvious, but - yeah."

Jack grinned, and Alex began to smile too, although he appeared slightly confused.

"I love you too." Jack said, because now that he knew he didn't want to keep it in anymore.

"I am in love with you, Alex. And I have been since high school, roughly."

Jack understood, once he revealed his inner secrets, why Alex was feeling so nervous. He knew there wasn't really much logical reason for his nerves, he should feel lighter, but he didn't, not really.

Alex shuffled over, and at first Jack was confused, then he remembered that they were in a restaurant, a public place, and then it all made a bit more sense.

"You are?" Alex asked, as if he wasn't sure that he had heard right, and Jack fought down the urge to call him an idiot.

Even if he was an adorable idiot.

"Yes, Alexander, I am." He replied, and Alex's smile grew until it was beaming.

He kissed Jack's cheek, and his lips were warm and soft and careful, and Jack felt his heart speed up in his chest. He felt like a blushing teenager, but he'd also never felt better.

"I feel so happy right now." Alex said, and he sounded so genuinely honest that Jack just wanted to kiss him, properly, mouth-on-mouth.

He didn't, but he certainly thought about it.

"Just imagine how I feel." Jack said, although he imagined their feelings were quite similair.

"I don't know what to do ... we should probably talk about this, but -"

Alex glanced at his watch, and then back up at Jack.

"I don't want to keep Will out too late." He said, and Jack understood completely.

"It's fine, we can always talk about this tomorrow." He said.

Alex blushed again, and Jack noticed Alex's fingers fidgeting with a strand of stitching on his jeans. Feeling rather brave, in a sense, Jack reached out and linked his fingers with Alex's.

"We can talk about it tonight." Alex said. "If you want to ... we can talk once Will has gone to bed."

Jack didn't need to take any time to ponder over the suggestion, because he already knew the answer.

"I'd love to." He said, and Alex looked at him, like at first he wasn't sure that he was hearing right. Quickly afterwards, however, he breaks out into a blinding grin.

"I'm just going to go ... and get Will." Alex said slowly, and Jack nodded.

"Okay."

Alex didn't move, and Jack nudged him with his shoulder.

"Go, you nerd." He said, and it was a childish insult, but still good enough quality for him to use it on Alex.

Alex poked his tongue out slightly, and then he was gone and Jack was left feeling like his heart had turned to a feather, becuase it was much too light.

He made his way to the desk in front of the restaurant kitchens, pulling his wallet out of the back pocket of his jeans. Hannah was there by the time he reached it, and she greeted him with a kind smile.

"Here to pay?" She asked, and Jack nodded.

"Did you have a good time?" She asked him, as she printed off the bill, and although Jack knew that she was really just being polite, he had a strange urge to blurt out his favourite parts of the evening.

"We did, thank you. The food was delicious." Jack answered, as she handed him the bill.

"I'm glad." She said, and she sounded genuine. Jack kind of hoped that she'd stay a waitress, even if it was just because she was so good at it.

Jack handed her the money, and snuck a glance towards the playground, where Alex was leading a rather reluctant William out into the general restaurant area.

"If you don't mind me saying," Hannah said, passing Jack his change and receipt. She had seen where his gaze went, and there was a soft look in her eyes.

"You two are really cute."

Jack smiles, not so much embarrassed as surprised, and thanked her. She just simply nodded, and walked off to continue her job.

"Hey ... did you just pay?"

Jack turned around, to find Alex and William a lot closer than they had been last time he noticed.

"Yeah. Why, is that a problem?"

"No," Alex said. "But you didn't have to."

Jack shrugged, it was just dinner, and he had eaten a third of it after all.

"I know. But I did."

Alex looked down, and then back up at Jack, his eyes bright. There was a spark in Jack's heart like a striked match, and he felt his whole soul light up.

And then William tugged on Alex's sleeve, and he didn't say anything, but they could both tell he was becoming a little impatient. Jack guessed that it was because once he'd been told he couldn't play anymore, he didn't want to be in the restaurant.

Jack could understand that.

"Time to go home, hey buddy?" Alex suggested, but he glanced over at Jack, who couldn't help but feel he was included in the suggestion.

William nodded, and neither Alex nor Jack missed the yawn that William thought was hidden behind his hand.

They walked to the car in silence, and it's possible that Alex edged closer to Jack, as William walked in front of them. Just as it is possible that Jack bumped his arm as close to Alex's as he could.

It could also be blamed simply on the cold, but more likely on the beating of their hearts, and the recent confessions that were fuelling them.

* * *

William was half-asleep on his feet by the time they made it into the apartment, and Alex looked at Jack with an expression that read  _'just a minute'_. Jack nodded, and whispered good night to William, who mumbled sounds rather than coherent words in response.

Jack wasn't entirely sure what he should do, so he sat down on the couch. The furniture had never felt so soft before, he felt like he was on high alert, like he was going to sink through it. There was a small knot of nerves in his stomach, and he tried to squash them down, because he knew that there was no logical reason for them to be there, but apparently logic wasn't making a good enough impression, because the nerves stayed.

"He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow," Alex announced as he walked in, and there was a look of such intense adoration and fondess, that Jack felt himself smile gently.

"I wish I could fall asleep like that every night." Jack said, and his breath caught in his throat when Alex sat down next to him - because he could feel the warmth radiating from Alex, could hear him breathing.

It had been a while since they'd been so close, physically, properly, but this time it felt different. His skin felt like it was thrumming with electrical currents, all tingles and sparks.

Alex shook his head fondly, and there was a softness to his eyes and his smile when he looked over at Jack. Neither of them spoke, but Jack was curious to see if Alex would do anything, say anything.

"Jack, about earlier..."

"I still love you." Jack said - as though it could have  _possibly_ changed in the past hour.

"That's a relief." Alex joked, and just like that the slight tension in the air eased.

"I love you too, just so that we're all clear." He added, and Jack bumped their shoulders together.

Alex blushed at little, and then they were looking at each other and Jack wondered if it was possible to drown in someone's eyes, because that was what he felt like.

Alex's eyes flicked down to Jack's lips, and then back up. There was an unspoken question there, and Jack decided to stick to the theme, to answer silently. He breathed out slowly, psyching himself up, and then he leaned in, allowing Alex the time to pull away if he so desired.

He didn't, because he leant in too, and then they were kissing and Jack couldn't remember when he'd felt happier. Alex's lips were soft and slick, and they moved with a gentle passion. His hand reached up to grasp Jack's cheek, and they both twisted their bodies to lean in a little closer, to eliminate all possible distance between them. Jack slipped a hand under Alex's jacket, holding his hip firmly, and he tangled the other one in the fabric of Alex's scarf.

Alex pulled away first, and rested his forehead against Jack's. Although the kiss hadn't lasted very long, his breathing was slightly laboured, and it felt warm against Jack's skin. There was a bright flush on his cheeks and an even brighter sparkle in his eyes. He slid his hand up into Jack's hair, so it was grasping the space where his head and neck met. They spent a few moments catching their breath, gathering themselves before they dared speak.

"I'm so glad we just did that." Jack said, eventually, and Alex let out a low laugh.

"Yeah, me too." He said, and then he bit his lip, tugging it into his mouth, and it was one of the most attractive things Jack had ever seen.

"Then perhaps we should do it again?" Jack suggested, and it was so horribly lame, and he knew it.

But Alex laughed along, and then pulled him in for another sweet kiss, so all in all Jack didn't see an issue.

* * *

Jack stayed over, because by the time they'd stopped kissing and talking, it had been far too late for him to go home. They fell asleep pressed close, and woke up even closer - with Alex's arm flung across Jack's chest, and his nose nuzzling against the crook of Jack's neck. There was a warmth flooding through Jack's veins, and he was pretty sure it was from more than just Alex's sleeping form.

He was careful not to make any movement, in fear of waking Alex up, but he couldn't help sneaking a glance at the man he'd been in love with since high school, and who for some crazy reason loved him back.

Jack stayed like that, simply admiring Alex as he was, until he began nuzzling his head against Jack's neck. Alex groaned and pressed himself closer, a feat which Jack had previously thought impossible. Jack placed a kiss onto the top of Alex's head, and waited for him to properly wake up.

"Jack?" Alex said, and the way he spoke was low and soft.

It reminded Jack of when they were in 9th grade, and they had fallen asleep on Alex's couch after an intense and vigorous bout of video games. Alex had called out to Jack when they woke up, as if he was surprised that Jack was even there. Jack had grinned, poked Alex's cute dimple and then jumped up to find something for them to eat.

Of course, the situation was a little different this time around, and possibly better, in Jack's opinion.

"Yeah, it's me." Jack replies, and his heart glows when Alex sighed and snuggled closer.

He began kissing Jack's chest, and the touch was warm and exhilirating.

"We should do this more often." Alex suggested in a small voice, and Jack wasn't sure if it was because he was scared or just still half-asleep.

" _This,_ this?" Jack asked, amused. "Waking up together, or what we did last night..."

"Both." Alex murmured. "Everything."

He looked up, and there was almost a rawness to the love in his gaze.

"I really do love you, Jack, and I know that things are pretty crazy - what with my job and your job and Will - but it would be really great if we could work something out. If you think it will be too weird or hard, then that's fine, I understand ... but I really don't want to go backwards on this."

Jack smiled, and leaned down for a slow kiss that had Alex reaching up to press closer.

"There is nothing in this universe, or any other universe for that matter, that would stop me from wanting to be with you. There are things that would stop me from  _actually_ being with you - such as you falling for someone else, which I really hope doesn't happen, or you not feeling comfortable with the idea because of Will, or even Will himself not feeling comfortable with it."

Jack shrugged, careful not to jostle Alex.

"But as long as there are no obstacles, I see no reason for us not to ... start  _something_."

Alex breathed in deep, and exhaled deeper.

"We're going to have to tell him, aren't we?" He asked, and Jack pursed his lips to not laugh.

"It's probably a good idea."

Reflecting on the previous night's events, Jack added. "Although, I have a feeling he won't be too upset about it."

* * *

Not surprising at all to Jack, he was right. William was completely unfazed.

"Jack and I are dating."

"Okay."

Alex looked to Jack, who was leaning smugly against the kitchen bench.

"Told you so." He said.

"Will, mate, you know what this means, right?" Alex asked, ignoring Jack and his comment.

"That Jack will be here more? He's already here almost every day." William said matter-of-factly.

"You're okay with it?" Alex asked, just to make sure.

If it wasn't so amusing, Jack would have stepped in by now. Instead, he had a strange urge to make some popcorn.

"He makes you happy. I like him." William shrugged, and Jack remembered how smart he was for his age.

"I don't see a problem."

William grinned at his dad, and then at Jack.

"Can I go watch TV?" He asked, having already finished his breakfast while Alex was deliberating how to tell his son.

"Sure, mate." Alex said, and William ran off with a cheer.

Jack walked over to Alex, slipping his hands around his waist, and pulling him closer.

"That was easier than I thought." Alex muttered, his own hands sliding up Jack's arms.

"I told you. Not a problem."

Jack leaned in and kissed him, and when Alex kissed back, Jack saw sparks behind his eyelids and felt a flame ignite in his chest.

_This is right._ He thought, as Alex's tongue fought his own for control.

_This is where I belong. With him, with Will._

_Right here._

**Author's Note:**

> See this, Alecsmanwhore? Song lyric - as a title. :)


End file.
